Okay. What are your first thoughts about this picture? Wow? nappy? Wow? Definitely type 4c? Curlier than yours? Did you notice that the hand is holding on to at least an inch of hair? Hair can coil/curl up so tightly that you can not find the beginning of it? Can you find the ends of some of the strands? Ignore the grey hair. Ignore some of the longer texturized lengths. Just concentrating on the natural base hair at the roots. Do you find beauty in it? or does it shock you? Does it look like normal hair? Is it socially acceptable hair? Does it represent "Black hair?" These questions raise more questions. Should this hair be colored or relaxed? Do the makers of relaxers even have this hair type in mind when the directions say "put the relaxer on and rinse it out in 15 minutes?" Can you imagine a relaxer touchup service that is past due? Trying to part the hair to get to the roots to apply relaxer product could be tough then add a time limit? Does this hair type represent a high percentage of African American women? Why do all the relaxer classes and relaxer demonstrations always use women with much looser curl patterns to sell their product? Would a stylist aim for "Super Strength" relaxer or "mild" relaxer strength? What do you think? If you go for "Super," relaxer is undoubtedly going to be in contact with the scalp for a extended period of time. That is not going to be healthy. But will the mild strength be strong enough to keep it from reverting? It depends on the relaxer brand, of course. So you are probably thinking to try "regular strength" relaxer or just remain natural? Okay, if you remain natural, combing this type of hair while dry is almost impossible giving the tightness of the coil without popping it or breaking it. The only chance of combing this type of hair with less breakage is after it is well conditioned and detangled in the wet phase. You have to partition it off and plait it down until you can blow-dry it a section at a time. This is high maintenance hair. I do not recommend permanent nor demi-permanent color on this hairtype at all. Not even to cover the grey. This hair type is vulnerable in its naturally, tightly curled state. It will be even more vulnerable after a chemical is added. Relaxer plus roller set service is about the only option to maintain a corporate professional look. Sisterlocks or other natural lock styling is also an option. I am hoping that the relaxer manufacturers will re-examine how they make relaxers. How do you keep relaxer off the scalp with a curl pattern like this? This head of hair represents a lot of struggling Black women who love their hair but feel like they have been dumped into a corner with limited to no options. With hair this tightly coiled, the words "tenderheaded" and "sensitive scalp" probably go together. If you are seeking out a routine for control without breakage, please stay posted. I will add to this article as I finalize the steps, products, and techniques that are in existence today. Be patient. You are not misunderstood.
9/4/2011 Update: The True Indulgence relaxer regular strength has met my requirements of being sodium hydroxide, little to no irritation, leaves the integrity of hair in tact and delivers reasonable straightness, shine and softness. My search is over. Please see my True Indulgence relaxer review.
12/02/2012 Update: New picture above. I really recommend Sisterlocks for this type of hair. Straightening by heat or by chemicals is just too aggressive long term for this particular curl pattern to maintain solid length. Although, I am working on a unique relaxer touch-up technique, but I have not perfected yet. Stay tuned!
May 2013 update: After two years of searching, experimenting, trying to create a new technique, I finally and unfortunately concluded the microlocks formed by comb twisting is the best way to manage this hair type. The scalp gets too much contact with relaxers whether you are using a mild or a regular strength. Over the years or decades, the damage will appear. The scalp may begin to scar. I have also found that interlocking techniques such as Sisterlocks do not grab the new hair up into the existing lock like comb twisting does. I have written a few articles on tips for healthy, stylish locks for May 2013. Please see those articles. For those who want straight hair, I still suggest locking the hair, but make a custom fit stocking cap straight hair wig to wear over the locks. I have an article on that too.
I am soooo sorry that in my two year search for a better solution to straight hair for this hairtype, I found no healthy solution, but I did find a stylish solution that works with the hairtype, not against it. My search is truly over as far as relaxers are concerned on this curl pattern and hair texture.
OOOOh!!! Where have you been?! I feel like I'm the only one even within my own family my hair seems to be the coarsest most tightly coiled and densely packed! I'm tired of people recommending things that work for their texture but not mine! Things I have already tried and know will not work!
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting! Most "sistas" have taken the "SisterLocks" path as their last effort to find a routine that works for their tightly coiled curl pattern. However, there are some "sistas" that do not want the natural look. Although, I have seen some beautiful sisterlock hairstyles with color and layering. Right now, I am searching for a black chemist. Most ethnic lines do not have a black chemist developing the products. Just as lot of Black marketing and Black spokesperson. Please become a follower. Thanks again for visiting!
ReplyDeleteI need to go back and clarify. Those who are NOT sensitive to the sodium hydroxide have a wide range of relaxers to choose from. There are many women with Type 4c hair that can grow to long lengths with a mild to regular sodium hydroxide relaxer on a six weeks to 8 weeks frequency. The mild strength for finer hair. Regular strength for those with thicker strands of hair. The gap that exists in the relaxer industry is for those whose scalps begin burning almost immediately after traditional sodium hydroxide relaxers touch the scalp. The Paul Mitchell Super strength seems to be a good answer for texturizing coarse, type 4c hair wth a sensitive scalp, but it does not seem to ever get pass an 80% level in curl reduction. So you can not receive a roller set if you can not get it straight enough from the chemical process. Because I can not find a relaxer on the market that meets all the qualifications that I am looking for, I am leaning toward using a traditional regular relaxer as a corrective relaxer once every four months, but keep it away from the scalp. This would be a separate service from the root touchup. Please stay tuned.
ReplyDeleteThe Design Essentials Time Release Regular Strength relaxer seems to be working! Please see my latest article/review on this Honey Nectar relaxer. Perfect for sensitive scalp clients that desire more straightness versus texturizing.
ReplyDeleteStop the press! Forget about the Design Essentials Time Release relaxer. It seems to soften the hair, but it reverts in humidity. The behavior has been quite consistent with my clientele. The Good news: The True Indulgence relaxer system - regular strength is absolutely top dog now. I absolutely love it. Little to no irritation and seems to soften and straighten. Good hair integrity. The search is over. I do not plan to try another relaxer for my sensitive scalp. Please see the article and Product review for the True Indulgence relaxer system.
ReplyDeleteOkay. Design Essentials is back on my map! Not for the Time Release formula, but for their NEW regular strength relaxer now with shea butter and olive oil! Please see my recent relaxer review on the regular strength Design Essentials relaxer. It is definitely going to be my backup plan if I can not get my hands on a True Indulgence relaxer in time.
ReplyDeleteThat hair is just dry. That's what gives it the "nappy" appearance.
ReplyDeleteYes, dry hair can be hard, but that doesn't mean it's actually a coarse hair texture.
That means it needs a good infusion of moisture.
Start off with a good, deep conditioning treatment.
Follow-up with a light-weight leave-in conditioner.
Finally, lock the moisture in with a creamy shea butter/oil mixture.
Those so-called naps will lie down like butter.
Dear silkynaps: The hair pictured is not hard because it did not break upon stretching it out from the roots as shown in this picture. If this hair was "dry and hard," it would have snapped. Also, a "deep conditioning treatment" is a broad term. Any "cheap" or "expensive" conditioner can be considered a "deep conditioner" if you put it under heat. The hair pictured is natural and has plenty of natural sheen. Thank you for your feedback. Others may have similar thoughts and just need more clarity on how to evaluate dryness. If you have product/brand recommendations, please feel free to share.
Delete@ Silkynaps,I definitely agree with pHenomenalhairstylist. It's my hair she was describing in this post! The difference is while you can see the scalp in that picture, You have to work hard to see my scalp with my hair in it's natural state. It is so densely packed and coarse that my friends (also black Africans) refer to it as a jungle!(I have something resembling relaxed hair now. Again the regular strength/ super strength relaxer debate. When I was younger just one or two stylists would agree to make my hair, the others complained it 'whipped' and cut their fingers! Plus i cried a lot. (Did i mention tender/sensitive scalp and jungle hair?) My mum has the same hair and now my poor little niece is going through the same thing. I am still on the look out for conditioners and moisturizers that would soften it a bit and make it manageable.
ReplyDeleteFor those with 4c curl pattern who are not ready to consider dreadlocks, the Affirm Control Regular Relaxer and the VitalePro High Comfort Regular Relaxer are two more relaxer systems that seem to be effective for straightening the type 4c hair pattern with minimal scalp irritation.
ReplyDelete